Turkish football club Galatasaray has accused Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho of making “racist statements” and announced plans to initiate criminal proceedings against him. The accusations follow Mourinho’s comments after the teams’ 0-0 draw in the Turkish Super Lig.
Although it remains unclear which specific remarks Galatasaray is referring to, Mourinho stated that the home side’s bench had been “jumping like monkeys” during the heated match. He also criticized Turkish referees, claiming the game would have been a “disaster” had a local official been in charge. The match was officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic after both clubs requested a foreign official.
In a statement on X, Galatasaray condemned Mourinho’s remarks, accusing him of repeatedly making derogatory comments about the Turkish people since joining the league.
“Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric,” the club asserted.
Galatasaray declared its intention to file official complaints with UEFA and FIFA, while also pursuing criminal proceedings against Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho, a former manager of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, has faced disciplinary action for his comments on Turkish football in the past. In November, he was banned for a game and fined after accusing the system of being biased against Fenerbahce.
During a post-match press conference, Mourinho doubled down on his criticism.
“I went to the referees’ dressing room after the game. Of course, the fourth official was there, a Turkish referee,” he said. “I told [Vincic], ‘Thank you for coming here because you are responsible for a big match.’ And I turned to the fourth official and said, ‘If you were the referee, this match would be a disaster.'”
Mourinho also defended his player, Yusuf Akcicek, suggesting that a Turkish referee would have shown a yellow card early due to pressure from the Galatasaray bench.
“With a Turkish referee, after the big dive in the first minute and their bench jumping like monkeys, you would have a yellow card, and after five minutes, I would have to change him,” Mourinho remarked.
Galatasaray’s leadership views Mourinho’s comments as beyond the scope of professional rivalry, framing them as offensive and inhumane. The club’s move to escalate the issue to international governing bodies signals its intent to seek disciplinary action on a global scale.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from Fenerbahce. The club currently trails Galatasaray by six points in the Super Lig standings.
Despite the controversy, Mourinho has led Fenerbahce to the Europa League round-of-16, where they are set to face Scottish club Rangers in March. However, this latest scandal could overshadow the team’s European ambitions and add further tension to the domestic title race.
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